Hello all,
I am becoming fascinated with the Faces after many years of interest. I have a few questions regarding Ronnie's guitar work.

1) What type of guitar was he playing on the studio version of Plynth/gasoline Alley medley?

2) How does he get that full guitar sound on Had me a Real Good Time? Does anyone know his set up for the studio version?

3) Did Ronnie Laine play guitar on some songs?

4) what was Ronnie's favorite guitar set up on the 2nd Faces disc?


Thanks!

Sorry, I dont know the answer to alot of your questions except I believe Laine did play rythm guitar on some tracks. RW's guitar work on the the Faces and Rod Stewart's Mercury albums(his GOOD stuff but thats my opinion) is what really turned me on to his style!

Ronnie Lane is credited playing acoustic on a couple of tracks on Oh La La, the title track included.

He's credited playing guitar on First Steps as well

Dunno about LP and A Nod

thanks...is there a great Faces web site that may have these answers?

I was thinking that maybe I should have included a question about his hair in this post...........I might have gotten more responses

Quote
Cafaro
thanks...is there a great Faces web site that may have these answers?

I was thinking that maybe I should have included a question about his hair in this post...........I might have gotten more responses

it's lane's hair on a couple trax from first step....

Nice one!

Of course, it is always very likely that he plays guitar on the tracks he wrote (at least those he did alone). I remember seeing some Youtube tv material on the board of the song "Richmond" (from Long Player) or "Stone" (from First Step) with Ronnie singing and playing acoustic guitar.

I've been listening to the Faces too (the box set) and have been wondering the same things Cafaro asked.

but I've also been wondering, what happened to or why did ron change his sound so drastically when he joined the Stones? His Faces sound is so fat and warm, his Stones sound, not so much. Did keith ask him to play with a treblier sound for Some Girls? Or is it just the guitar--did he switch to a Strat only when he joined the Stones (maybe because he was joining the Stones)? The fat Faces sound might have been driven by their one-guitar lineup, but it still seems like he started to fade almost as soon as he became keith's sidekick.

Quote
cc
but it still seems like he started to fade almost as soon as he became keith's sidekick.

you noticed that too, eh? sorta like being paid to take a fall or something.....

Quote
cc
I've been listening to the Faces too (the box set) and have been wondering the same things Cafaro asked.

but I've also been wondering, what happened to or why did ron change his sound so drastically when he joined the Stones? His Faces sound is so fat and warm, his Stones sound, not so much. Did keith ask him to play with a treblier sound for Some Girls? Or is it just the guitar--did he switch to a Strat only when he joined the Stones (maybe because he was joining the Stones)? The fat Faces sound might have been driven by their one-guitar lineup, but it still seems like he started to fade almost as soon as he became keith's sidekick.

Mathijs, where are you?! Help us out!
In my opinion, the Faces were a one guitar band just like the Jeff Beck Group with Ronnie being moved to bass by Jeff after they started with two guitars. Therefore, clap your hands to Ronnie, that he could prove after a decade that he would fit in the multi guitar band of all.

Ronnie would be using his Zemaitis disc-top (is that the correct model name ?) on Plynth, and probably Real Good Time as well, I would think. It's the guitar he used for open-tuned numbers live, as you can see in various clips. He certainly used other guitars in the Faces, though, including strats, his other Zemaitis, a Dan Armstrong and probably a bunch of others I can't think of right now. I'm sure Mathijs can amend/ add to this....

Totally agree about his sound in the Faces being superior and I think it would mainly be down to being the sole guitar player in that band, needing to fill out the sound more and playing in open tuning at least some of the time.

The Faces kick some serious ass,Woody on lead is awesome.
Glad and Sorry,Love Lives Here,Debris,Tell Everyone,My Fault,Too Bad..what a sound.
As everyone said he used several guitars,and I loved them all.

Coming Down Again

The Zemitis and Dan Armstrong guitars are part of the sound but just as important (or more so) is the amp choice.

Ronnie used various ones in the studio, but he used HiWatt and Ampeg a lot.

I believe Stay With Me was a HiWatt stack cranked up full.

nod was recorded pretty much all on the disc front if I am correct. Sounds like an old ampeg amp stack or perhaps a vt-22 but I could be wrong. I would be curious about plynth though. It sounds like an accoustic w an electric pickup. If i remember correctly if you search for zemaitis on youtube Ronnie Lane's acoustic pops up. The video is from the guy that owns it now. The video states he played it on richmond (another killer faces tune) The Faces are very much underappreciated band.

Quote
sjs12
The Zemitis and Dan Armstrong guitars are part of the sound but just as important (or more so) is the amp choice.

Ronnie used various ones in the studio, but he used HiWatt and Ampeg a lot.

I believe Stay With Me was a HiWatt stack cranked up full.

but keith used Ampeg VT-22s in the studio also, didn't he? He rarely gets a sound as fat as ron's Faces sound, except for Ya Ya's, where it's Ampeg V-4s, I believe, and maybe "Can't You Hear Me Knocking," which actually is reminiscent of ron's stuttering riffs.

"Stay With Me" is a great sound, but a Hiwatt fully cranked would be very difficult to record.

I didn't realize he had the Zemaitis so early, thought they were more of a mid-70s thing. Guess not.

The Ampeg amps would definately account for his fat sound but there has to be more to it....it's almost like he has a chorus pedal on "Had Me a Real good time". I agree cc about KRs sound not being as fat either and I've found that KR likes a thinner sound. Lately it's somewhat reminiscent of B.B King.
I read in an interview someone just posted where RW talks about the Zematis'.

I'm really trying to figure out how he gets that sound on his Plynth medly from Gunslingers. Could the studio version of Plynth be played on a pedal steel?

I'm into this more than ever b/c I've recently taken up guitar and one of my focuses is to nail down that chunky rhythm like on "So Rude", which again is really fat...it sounds almost double tracked. I've been playing along with that song for a week solid. After a while it starts to sound like the middle part of Midnight Rambler from Ya Yas

Also......How is Ian Mac's book? Has anyone read it? thoughts?

A guitarplayers style and preferences changes over time. I's also a significant difference to be the only guitarplayer in a band and play with another guitarplayer. With two players you need to blend in with each other both soundwise and playing-wise.
Anyway Ronnies sound has fattened up a little later years as he plays a lot more rhythm/riffs than, say, 15 years ago.

[www.reverbnation.com]

Quote
Cafaro
Also......How is Ian Mac's book? Has anyone read it? thoughts?

I found it entertaining and a whole lot better then Ronnie's! Definately worth a read.

Quote
cc

but keith used Ampeg VT-22s in the studio also, didn't he? He rarely gets a sound as fat as ron's Faces sound, except for Ya Ya's, where it's Ampeg V-4s, I believe, and maybe "Can't You Hear Me Knocking," which actually is reminiscent of ron's stuttering riffs.

"Stay With Me" is a great sound, but a Hiwatt fully cranked would be very difficult to record.
.

I still reckon that Stay With Me is a fully cranked Hiwatt!

No doubt he used Ampegs or similar quite a lot as he was copying the Stones' Ya Yas sound at the time. However, there's also a lot of sounds that I reckon are either cranked up small Fender amps or big Hiwatt stacks.

His amps may have changed, but I also think you can't underestimate the studio recording equipment in use at the time which would have been constantly changing and being updated. It has been noted by one of the Beatles' engineers, Geoff Emerick, that when the Beatles recorded the album Abbey Road the newly installed mixing console (Neve?) wasn't valve-driven as was the previous recording console. The result was the Abbey Road album having a much thinner and lighter sound. Ringo also complained that his drums didn't sound so heavy anymore. The valves in the older console would distort and lend a rougher more aggressive sound.

I don't know what recording equipment the Faces used, and I know it’s a bit later than the Beatles period, but it's possible the equipment had an effect on the sound of the guitars…also there’s the natural ambience of the room they recorded in, mics used etc, not to mention the producer’s and engineer’s roles in shaping the sound.

Lastly, maybe Keith’s guitar sound was more of the focus of the song in the Stones? Thinking of Dance Little Sister and other songs, where either Mick T’s or Ronnie’s guitar would take second place in terms of importance in the tune. In the Faces there was one guitar as has been mentioned, so this would get all the attention.

Great topic- Ronnie Wood had a really crunchy full powerful sound, particularly in the latter part of the Faces career- which got dialed waaay back with The Stones- a big mistake IMHO. Detroit '74 is a great example and easy to find.

Great info, WeLove You. I think KRs playing has been more fluid since Darryl joined which is supposed is to be expected as his playing is more fluid than Bill's. I do miss the heavy Chuck driving rhythm.

We all get old I guess. the more I am listening to these Faces recordings the more I am impressed with Woody's playing. His rhythm/fills/slide combo playing was outstanding. He keeps it tight but loose as well...........tailor made for KR. It blows me away when I try to play along with the Facves discs. He does so many little things that you hear something new each time!

This is why I love the 75-76 tour.You can hear Ronnies Faces sound changing into his Stones sound.the live at Kilburn 74 is a great example of Ronnie leading and Keith following.

Coming Down Again

Quote
cc
"Stay With Me" is a great sound, but a Hiwatt fully cranked would be very difficult to record.

I listened to A Nod again today. On Too Bad you can hear the engineer say "Rod, er, Ron I mean. Everytime you let go of your guitar I get incredible feedback".

Apparently Brown Sugar was recorded with a fuly cranked Fender Twin which, I reckon, would be about as loud as a fully cranked Hiwatt.

I think the Faces used the Rolling Stones mobile, although I can't remember for which records.

Quote
sjs12

Quote
cc
"Stay With Me" is a great sound, but a Hiwatt fully cranked would be very difficult to record.

I listened to A Nod again today. On Too Bad you can hear the engineer say "Rod, er, Ron I mean. Everytime you let go of your guitar I get incredible feedback".

like I said, very difficult to record.

Did Keef ever guest in the studio? I only ask because sweet little Rock & Roller always sounds like him playing rather than Ron.

from musictap

Rhino Records will reissue A Nod is as Good as a Wink…To a Blind Horse, a Faces title, on vinyl LP. It is scheduled for June 6.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-03-27 12:25 by Braincapers.

I also think that if Ron was using Ampegs he was probably using V-4s. It would be nice if anyone had any photos of Faces sessions.

Good topic; about Ron's guitar- great days.